Bag clasp



Patented Sept. 1 1, 1923.

unirte srarasearsnr orties.,

THOMAS HENRY RAMMEL, OF PLAINVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB. WHITING & DAVIS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BAG? CLASP. l

Application led February 7, 1922. Serial No. 534,691.

, To all whom t may con-cera:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. RAMMEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Plainville, in the county of Norfolk, State 5 of Massachusetts, have invented certain new f and useful Improvements in Bag Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. y.,

This invention relates to hand bags,"purses and in general to bags of the type having frame members to Which cloth, leather' or other material composing thebody of the bag is secured. More particularly they invention relates to a clasp device for securing the frame members of the bag together' y when the bag is closed.

The clasp device, in accordance With the invention, includes a rotatable member mounted on one of the frame members, which is adapted to coact With the other of the frame members to secure the frame members together when occupying certain angular positions, and to release the frame members so that they may be` opened when the rotatable member is turned to other angular positions. I-n accordance with'one form of construction, the rotatable member on one of the frame members is in the form of a pin of cylinderical or rounded form, having a depression or clearance therein, and the other frame member is provided with a projection or lug which is adapted to pass through the depression or clearancewhen the rotatable member is in one' angular position and to interlock With the rotatable member when the latter is turned to another; angular position. The rotatable member is. normally yieldably held in the locking position by means of a spring.

Where the bag frame has a bail as is common in various forms of bags to pro-- vide kmeans of suspension, the rotatable member is conveniently made a part ofthe bail construction sothat by rotating the bail in one direction or the otherv the rota-l device the bail is normally positioned substantially` in the plane of the member on which it is mounted, means suchas a'spring beinglpreferably provided to retain the bail in this position. So positioned the bail is adapted to lock the frame members together. The open positions of the bail are arranged at angles approaching and approximately at an angle of 900 to the plane of its supporting frame member, While angular positions intermediate the latter and the normal position are locking positions. This arrangement of angular positions for effecting lockingk and opening` of the frame members is of advantage in precluding the possibility of accidental opening of the bag While being The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in application, as an eX- ample, to` a hand bag or purse. In thel i dravvings- Fig. l illustrates the frame of'a bag With the clasp'device for securing the frame membag locked together by the clasp;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the open position of the clasp device for releasing the frame members so that they may be opened; and

Fig; @is a view 'along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. y

Referring to the drawings, the frame 5 of the bag consists yof a pair of frame members 6 and? which are hinged together at 8, the hinges carrying springs v9 which, tend to force the frame members open and to retain them in open position. Mountedl at the apex of the frame member 7 is a bail 10 to which the usual chain or strap 11 provided for carrying the bag is secured. Forming a part of the bail 10, and serving as a pivot therefor, is a pin 12 of cylindrical or rounded form which is mounted for rotation in a sleeve 18 secured to the frame member 7. This rotatable pin has a portion of its surface so formed that, in certain angular positions, it provides a stop for a projecting lug on the other frame member and another portion of its surface so formed that, in one angular position of the pin, it provides a clearance whereby the lug is released'. For this purpose the pin 12 has, intermediate its' ends, a depressed portion 14 which is best illustrated in Fig. 4. Secured to the frame member 6 is a lug or clasp member in the form of a ball claspl 15 which is in alignment with the depressed portion 14 in the surface of the pin 12. The ball portion 16 of the member 11:3 has a slight concavity v17, fitting the cylindrical or rounded surface of the pin 12. .s

The bail 10 is normally held in a position substantially in the plane of the frame menibex` 7, to whcli it is secured, by means' of 'a pair of coil springs 1S situated Within the sleeve13. These springs are mounted one at each end of the pin 12, the outer ends of the springs being fittedin tslots 19 fori'ne'd in a projection on each of the sleeve caps 20 by which the' springs are rigidly'held' against rotation, and the other ends of the springsare fitted in slots 21 formed in the reduced end portions 22 of the pin. In the normal position of the bail the cylindrical or round! ed portion of the' pin 12 s uppermost and, with the .lug 15 in looking position, `as when the frame members are together, the cylindrical surface engages the concavity 17 inv thev lug to lock the frame members together as is illustrated in Fig. 2. The open' posil tion of the clasp device is illustrated in Fig. 3 and in this position the bail is substantially at an angle of 90 to the frame member 7 on Which it is mounted. It Will be evident from an inspection of Figs. 2A and 3 that the bail may be rotated an appreciable amount to different angular positions with respect to the frame' member 7 beforev the ball 16 of the clasp member'15 Will .be disengaged therefrom and the depressed portion or clearance 14 brought opposite the lug to effect its release. Similarly various angular positions of the bail with respect to the frame member 7 are possible in theY open position of the clasp device; that is toy say,

before the surfaces of the pin andv lug are brought into interlocking engagement.

Before the frame members can be'brought together to close the bag, the bail must be rotated to a position to bring the depressed portion 14 of the pin opposite the 'ball por# tion 16 of the lug. When the partsare po'- sitioned relatively to each other in ths manner, the ball 16 of the lug freely pass over the pin 12 as in the position of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2 when the frame members are closed. With the lug in this'position, the frame members are locked together by rotating the bail in the opposite direction to that necessary to disengage the pin and lug, and by continuing the rotation of the bail the outer cylindrical surface of the pin is brought in contact With the concavity 17 in the ball portion 16 of the lug and these' parts are securely locked together.

For carrying the bag, suspension means are provided as has already been noted, such means in the present instance consisting of the bail 10, to which is attached a chain or strap 11.

I claim:

1.- A bag frame comprising a pair of frame members, and a clasp device therefor, including a rotatable member on onev frame member, a projection on the second frame member adapted to overliek and engage said rotatable member, the latter having a por' to another angular position for releai-lingA said projection so that the frame members may be opened. l

2. A bag frame. comprising a pair of frame members, and4 a clasp devicetherefor, including a rotatable member on one frame member having a portion of reduced crosssectio'n and a projection `on the other frame member which is adapted tobe moved across said portion yto overlie said rotatable member', When the rotatable member is in one angular position and, lwhich is adapted to interlock with the rotatable member when they latter is in another angular position. y

3.y A bag frame comprising a pair of frame members, and a clasp device therefor', including a rotatable member on one frame member having'a depression therein, aridI a projection on the other frame member which is adapted to pass through said depression When the rotatable member is in one angular position, and Whichvis adapted to inter? lock with the rotatable member When,r the latter is in another angular position, and a bail secured lto the rotatable member and having suspension means for the bag secured'l thereto.

4. A bag frame comprising a pair- Aof frame mem ers, anda clasp device therefor,

including a rotatable member on one frame With the rotatable member when the latter is in another angular position, and a spring for holding the rotatable member yieldingly in its interlocking position.

5. A bag frame comprising a pair of frame members, and a clasp device therefor includinor a bail pivotally mounted 0n one of said frame members, and means tending to hold said bail in a position normally in the plane of said member, said bail having a rotatable member serving as a pivot therefor and adapted to coact With a projection of the other frame member to lock said frame members together When said bail is in its normal position, to unlock said frame members when rotated to positions approaching and at an angle of 90o With the plane of the member on which the bail is mounted, and to maintain said frame members in a locked condition at intermediate positions.

6. A bag frame comprising a pair of frame members, and a clasp device therefor including a sleeve secured to one of Said members, a clasp member secured to the other of said members, and a bail having a pinv plvoted in said 'sleeve in cooperation with Which said clasp member is adapted to act to lock said frame members together in certain positions of the bail, and to release the clasp member and unlock the frame members when the bail is moved to certain other positions.

7 A bag clasp comprising a pair of frame members, and a clasp device therefor, including a rotatable member on one frame member having a depression therein, and a projection on the other frame member which is adapted to pass through said depression when the rotatable member is in one angular position, and which is adapted to interlock with the rotatable member When the latter is in another angular position, and a pair of oppositely acting springs engaging one o-f the frame members and the rotatable member for holding the rotatable member yieldingly in its interlocking position.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature.

THOMAS HENRY RAMMEL. 

